NWBU premier out

ULVERSTONE'S premiership-winning NWBU men's side has been unable to accept its automatic entry into the newly created State Basketball League due to player unavailability.

ULVERSTONE'S premiership-winning NWBU men's side has been unable to accept its automatic entry into the newly created State Basketball League due to player unavailability.

NWBU men's premiers Ulverstone.

The Redhoppers and 2014 NWBU runner-up Burnie were granted places for the competition, which starts on Saturday, September 6.

On Monday, Basketball Tasmania released the line-up of teams for the men's competition, with the Tigers accepting and Ulverstone declining.

Redhoppers president Melissa Budgeon said there were many reasons why the club had chosen not to take part in the new league.

Import B. J. Jenkins will have returned home, captain Nick Haywood will be holidaying overseas, Jade Hughes and Shaun Lintner will be involved in football finals, and Lachie Barker and Harry O'Neill will be well entrenched in the local NWBU under-22 roster.

"We were only aware of it [the concept] mid-season and therefore we had no commitment from the players that they would continue [after the actual season]," Budgeon said.

"Basketball is becoming a 12 months of the year sport, the seasons are getting longer.

"The players need to have time off to recharge and to re-establish their hunger for the game."

Ulverstone men's coach Ben Keeley said it was a shame the team could not compete, but it was simply a matter of bad timing and that the club didn't have the information.

A line-up of women's teams to compete in the league will be announced soon.

Budgeon said Ulverstone's women's side would not be one of them, with the priority for the young Redhoppers group the coming NWBU under-22 roster.